Welcome to Cancer Militia!
We hope you will find our website useful and may it provide you with information to help you defend yourself and your loved ones against this group of serious diseases. We have many events and programs throughout the year to help educate and inspire the community. Please check out our events page for updates.
Shari A. Ellwanger is the founder of Cancer Militia (a.k.a. Melanoma Militia). She is a cancer survivor of melanoma skin cancer. Her Dad Chuck Melvin fought melanoma skin cancer twice in a 4 year period. He lost his 2nd battle with the disease rather quickly after being diagnosed with stage IV metastatic melanoma. He passed on July 12, 2009. Shari watched the hope of curing the cancer fade from her Dad soon after the Doctors told him he only had a few months to live. He did not receive compassion, emotional support or a timely treatment plan from his care team. Melanoma lacks funding and research. He did not receive an equal fight at survival. Rather a death sentence so to speak, with no glimmer of hope in his future.
Shari through Cancer Militia is fighting for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, family and their friends for equal rights to a timely treatment plan and treatment with respect and dignity for all. Shari needs your help, she can't do it alone. Please support Cancer Militia by making a donation today. Donate Now
2010 estimated that 68,130 new cases of melanoma would be diagnosed in the United States alone. Sadly aprox. 8,700 lives were lost to melanoma in 2010. Skin cancer (non-melanoma) is the most common type of cancer in this country. About 1,000,000 (million) americans develop skin cancer (non-melanoma) each year and accounts for aprox. 1,000 deaths. One person dies aprox. every hour from skin cancer and more than 75% of those deaths are from melanoma. 2011 statistics will be posted as soon as they are available from the National Cancer Institute.
Cancer Militia participates in multisport races to interact with the community, teach healthy eating & race to promote physical activity. We also distribute sun safety brochures & teach skin cancer prevention and early detection because skin cancer is often disregarded as a real threat and Shari has lived it and seen the devastating affects it can have on lives. We offer free sunscreen for spectators and athletes who "forgot" theirs on the big race day!
We hope you will join us in our fight to help make our community cancer free!
Cancer Militia is a non-profit corporation.
Donations are tax deductible! We are organized and operate as a 501 (c) 3 public charity. Please support our efforts, donate today!
